Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-05-28
THE PLEASANT SMALL FEAsTs.

, 0A4 O1S1JfA VAA1 20
THE PLEASANT SMALL FEAsTS.
From Harper's Bazaar
The duty Of every American citizen toward 90
ciety is to try to raise its tone He should, far
from allowing his family to sink into careless hab
its and an indifference to forms and ceremonies.
try to keep them up to the STANDARD OF proper eie
gance Even If his means are small, let the table
cloth be clean, and the service as neat his purse
can buy. Let there be finger-bowls, for they are
Clearly; and here we must pause to say that our
correspondents seem to be more troubled about
this part OF the feast than any other We have
received several letters asking US IL one or more
finger-bowls should be set for three persons and
so on.
A greater misapprehension OF the use OF finger
bowl could not well obtain than Is betrayed by
this question As well ask IL one toothbrush could
go round through a regiment. A flnger-bowl is
personal. No one wants to wash his fingers In
water used by another Therefore give everybody
his own hnger-bowl. 1t Is not a luxury, but ne
cessity.
There is custom Of passing very ornamentd
gold or brass pitcher and bowl filled with rose
water to each guest, who either dips his napkin In
the perfumed water or holds his fingers while the
servant pours the rose-water over them. This is
called trenpotr, and is used much on the conti-
nent but 1t Is too stately and formal for anything
but grand feasts, and as all people do not know
the plain hnger-bowl lit may be very inexpensive
should be part OF every meal, and one should be
given TO every guest.
Let every child be taught to eat with his fork,
how to hoid his bread properly, how to use his
NAPKIN to pc neat orderly, agreeable, and patient.
To eat an egg out OF the shell was once a fop's
definition OF good breeding. Now one can break 1t
in cup, II he peases without suspicion of vulgar
Hy. person OF easy address handles his egg as
he knew what to do with tt, and were not afraid
of it. We used to hear stories OF the American
it "rather weak lemonade,s and a certain
Industrious professor went to English dinner
parties and declared ''that he never got on his
white cravat at the right time" These are sole
clSmS long since mended.
Women are gifted with SO much tact and so
strong an initiative faculty that they need fewer
hints than men. Yet they have still to learn when
to wear their diamonds and when to leave them at
home, when to be fine and when to be plainly
dressed.
As to the pleasant small feasts, the host and
hostess sit either at the two ends OF the table
or In the middle, or mix themselves up with their
guests, as they please. round table, now so
much the fashion, Obliterates any necessity for
head and foot, but the principal male guest must
lady guest at the hosts right hand, whatever
else happens and the hostess must always enter
last.
introducing guests is not imperative, but the
lady Of the house should introduce the gentleman
to the lady he is to take in to dinner.
across his lap; Lady removes her gloves. The roll
of bread should be taken in the left hand. II oys-
tiers or CLAIMS are served proceed to eat them at
once with small fork, which should be at the
right hand OF the oyster plate.
IL seems seem unnecessary 10 say that gentleman
bread about, roll 1t into pills; he does not tip
his plate for the last drop OF soup. Yet we have
seen these detects in table manners not hundred
years ago.
Vegetables should be eaten with fork, and but
few served at time. Peas and asparagus are
often served as separate courses. Asparagus can
be taken by the clean white stalk, dipped in the
sauce which should be served Separately-as spoon
| full on ones plate is enough-and the vegetable
and celery are passed as relishes. and eaten with
the fingers Radishes and green corn are also eaten
small feast.
Fish is to be eaten with silver fork and bit of
bread. Fruit is cut with silver knife, but eaten
with the fingers.
There are minor elegancies, too, as to the rules
81 take tea with Mrs. Smith tonight but 81 drink
% NJ" per Beau Trn
once rebuked a lady for saying stake tea" He
said, "Madane. a vulgar man can take liberties,
but one drinks tea" Mr.. Story was much amused,
coming pes to TO ne hear girl
feel like fool but one desires beefsteak." Again,
one should never use the term 81 love oysters" st
love grapes" We love our friends, we appreciate,
we like, oysters, we eat grapes. But love is an
emotion of the heart, not sensation OF the palate.
Each OF the senses has its appropriate language.
No two OF them can be equally expressed by the
same words. We must seek prOpriety Of epithet
as much in describing these emotions as in adj
| as to language; we do do not study phrases as we
ought.
Dinner invitations should only be accepted from
those whose acquaintance we desire and wish to
keep. Some Inbred people have been known to
accept a dinner invitation and to cut and ignore
the kind entertainers afterward This Is the
height OF meanneSS, the depth OF vulgar1ty. Be
careful to be punctual at the dinner hour, to en-
ter quickly, without formality, and If your hostess
with the person next to you. In England no one
is introduced but every one talks TO his neighbor.
Fifteen minutes is long enough to wait for a
tardy guest. More time than that should rot be
granted even to the most distinguished person.
The host can give his right arm or his left, as he
pleases, to the Lady, but the other guests should
notice which arm he gives and follow his example.
While anything like haste in eating is to be
deprecated, still it is no longer the fashion to wait
his dinner as it is set before him. 1t is, however,
the height OF good breeding for the hostess to
seem to be eating SO long as one guest Is still
Cheese may be eaten with the fork or fingers, as
person chooses. American women have gener-
ally very strong objection to cheese but 10 Eng
land lady often takes a large piece and eats it
clear. There is no reason why lady should not
eat cheese If she likes 1t.
DO not allow the servant to pOur wine for You II
you do not like it or Intend to drink 1t. It is a
| fruitful source OF 1ntOxicatiOn among men,
servants, the emptytng OF the full glasses which
the guests leave, not noticing that they full.
Toasts and the drinking OF healths after dinner
are now out OF date. Still, II an old-fashiOned
gentleman wishes to drink your health, regard it
as compliment, smile, and raise your glass to
your lips.
Finger glasses should have bit OF lemon peel q
few viOlets or an orange leaf or blossom floating
In the water. Some hOSteSSeS give a dash of pep
permint or rOse-water, and when the double
f1ngerbOw is used[ inner one being used to rinse
the teeth), it Is very good fashion After using
the 1nger-bOwl, one should wipe the hands and
mouth on the napkin, not on the dolly, which has
become only bit OF embroidery nowadays.
We Americans are accused OF using ice too much
at our pleasant small feaStS. But our climate de-
mands it, especially that hot Algerian climate
which we create with our dreadful furnaces.
Every where however, sherry should be cooled in
an ice cooler. Sherry is served with soup, Sau-
terne or white wine with fish. Americans prefer
champagne served after fish with all the courses
but claret should always be provided for those
who like It, Burgundy and claret should be or the
frozen JrGppe from the outside before the din
ner putting Jumps OF ice in destroys it the
gourmet.
The glasses are all removed by the waiter when
the crumb- scraper goes round, and then Madeira
and sherry glasses are put on for the dessert. The
cOffee is served in the dining-rO for the ladies'
and some is sent in to the gentlemen, who take It
with their cigars. This Is the moment for story
telling for the best talk, for the "give and taken
of conversation. And remember in giving a din
ner that some Of the least expensive are the most
agreeable.
No one need offer wine, of course, unless one
chooses
1t is, OF course, Indispensable that gentleman
should be in evening Dress black throughout, with
white cravat for O'Clock dinner.
II one commits any error at the dinner table,
such as tipping over glass Of red wine, breaking
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